Water Sustains Me
by TearThisCanvas
Summary: 'Let me rephrase that. A dead human equals a living merman. So technically you're alive and your body is working, but it has changed and adapted to living below the sea. You're only dead if you still consider yourself a human.' Mer!Klaine.


'It's getting late.' Blaine looked over to his date, Thad, who had just broken the comfortable silence. 'I have to make curfew.' He met Blaine's gaze with an apologetic smile. 'Sorry.'

'It's fine.' Blaine squeezed Thad's hand where he'd been clasping it in his lap.

'Can I walk you home?'

'I think... I'm gonna stay here for a little longer. Maybe a half hour.' He looked back over the water. It was quarter to midnight on a Saturday, and after a quick dinner followed by a not-so-quick movie the two of them had strolled down to the shore and sat on the end of the pier, legs dangling, looking out at the horizon for a bit. It was only their third date and Blaine had been having an amazing time connecting with Thad, but the thing that had really stolen his heart tonight was the ocean. It was so vast, and sparkling in the moonlight and it was basically the gateway to the rest of the world. He could jump in and swim and just keep going until he found himself at the coast of some other country, full of strangers, full of people who didn't know him. Maybe he could just dive in now and live in the water. The seaweed didn't care about his homework deadlines; the fish wouldn't judge him every time he came home without a girlfriend. Maybe he wasn't the first person to think like that, too. There could be a whole community of people living under the sea, people who'd had enough of real life and just decided to chill on a reef. He'd be welcomed into their group graciously; maybe meet another guy and just live, forever cut off from the rest of the world and loving it.

He started as Thad nudged his shoulder gently.

'Blaine?'

'Huh? Oh. I'm sorry, the water is...'

'Yeah.' Thad smiled fondly. 'I was just saying – are you going to be okay to get back?'

'I'm a big boy, Thad.' Blaine grinned as the other boy blushed. 'But thank you. I had a really nice night.'

'Me too.' Thad kissed him softly. 'Text me when you get back?'

'I promise.' Blaine surrendered Thad's hand back to him so he could get up. 'Night.'

'Night.' Thad started to walk back down the pier, glancing over his shoulder once to see Blaine watching him. An impish smile tugged at his lips and he waved back slightly awkwardly.

Blaine watched Thad until he was a spec at the back of the beach, before he turned back to the sea, a warm feeling settling in the pit of his tummy. He decided Thad could come with him when he went to live in the sea. He could bring his keyboard, Blaine could bring his guitar and they would just sing, all the time.

'Hey!'

He turned to look over his shoulder, blinking his eyes several times to bring them back into focus. A couple of guys were making their way unsteadily across the sand, straight to him. Blaine bit his lip, his eyes flicking to the back of the beach, and he wondered how long it would take him to make his escape. Standing up, he shoved his hands deep in his pockets and, keeping his head down, started to walk back down the pier.

'Hey! Slow down!'

He quickened his pace. Okay, he didn't know exactly what these people wanted, but it was probably in his best interest not to mix with them at this hour.

'_Hey.'_ A heavy hand landed on his shoulder as he reached the end of the pier. He looked up to meet the gaze of a heavy-set man with alcohol on his breath and a grin on his face. ''M talking to you.'

'He's talking to you.' The man's skinnier counterpart spoke from a couple of feet away. He took a swig from the bottle in his hand. 'You don't wanna talk?'

'I was just leaving.' Blaine's voice cracked, like he hadn't spoken in hours.

'But we wanna talk!' The larger man leaned in a little. Blaine tried his hardest not to recoil at the stench of alcohol but it was like a noxious gas. 'You on a date?'

'N-no.'

'That your boyfriend?'

'No.'

'So you go 'round macking on all your friends, fag?' The smaller man had a nasal voice that Blaine might have laughed at, had this exchange been in broad daylight, with lots of people around.

'Nah, he's a hooker!' The larger man poked Blaine's shoulder, sending him back a few steps. 'You're a hooker, right kid?'

'Please, I was just-'

'How much are you? Donnie here wants a couple hours with you!' He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at the other man, who promptly cracked up.

'You're sick, man! Aw, that's sick, man. Sick.'

'I got ten dollars on me. Ten dollars enough for two hours, kid?' He looked around for a second. 'How 'bout some of this?' He pushed his bottle up to Blaine's mouth. The teenager promptly shrank away, but this encouraged the man to close in further. 'Come on, kid? I know you ain't askin' a lot to get some action.' He tipped the bottle, and alcohol spilled over Blaine's lips, down his neck.

'Please.' Blaine took several steps back. 'What do you want from me?'

'I just wanna talk!' The man turned to "Donnie." 'He ain't listenin'!'

'Thinkin' of his boyfriend.'

'That right?' The man advanced on Blaine, who was again forced to step back. He hadn't been paying attention as he tried to scurry away from the men, and he cursed mentally as he felt wood beneath his feet, meaning the only direction he could be heading was back up the pier. Like walking the plank.

'You a fairy, kid?' Suddenly his tone was a lot more sinister.

'I –'

'Can you fly?' They were still walking.

'Please –'

'I said, _can you fly?'_

'I – no, I-'

'Maybe you should learn.' Blaine had been walking backwards. His foot caught on an uneven plank and he stumbled back, falling and landing with a thump. The larger man took this opportunity to seize his ankle, and begin to drag him. 'You wanna learn how to fly?'

'Please, let me go – take my money, I-'

'Listen to him! We ain't gonna _hurt _you, fairy, we're helpin' you! Donnie, get the kid's arms.'

Blaine whimpered as he felt an iron grip on his bicep.

'On the count o' three, we're gonna let go, got it? And then 'cause you're a fairy, you'll sprout wings and fly all the way to fairyland!' _Donnie _seemed to find this hilarious. He was bent double, laughing in Blaine's face for a few seconds, his grip tightening painfully. Blaine's ass was still on the floor, and one of his feet, so he tried to transfer his weight to _get the Hell up. _He started struggling, but by this time the first man had shouted out _one! _

Blaine could swim perfectly well, and would probably get out of the water safely, but this reassuring thought was buried under images of his head being held under, of his dead body floating on the surface of the water.

_Two! _He kicked out but his foot caught thin air and was soon grabbed, leaving him suspended in the air. His attempt to call for help was successful, but it fell upon deaf ears, as the men guffawed again and moved to hold him over the edge.

_Three-_

A car alarm sounded somewhere close.

'Fuck! The police!'

'Run!'

'Hide!' The men were panicking. They dropped Blaine.

As they ran away, Blaine fell. His head hit the pier, hard, and his body went limp as he slipped into the water.

Xx

Thad agitated his stuffed toy between his hands as his phone remained silent on his desk, taunting him. It had been two hours since he'd left Blaine on the pier – God _why did he do that? _He'd tried calling a couple of times, but there had been no answer. Blaine must have just forgotten. That scenario wasn't ideal, but it was better than some of what was going through Thad's mind at that moment. Sighing, he grabbed his phone and tapped out a text to him.

_Keeping me in suspense? X_

He'd remain staring at his phone until 3am, when he fell into a restless sleep.

Xx

**Day 1**

Blaine was cold when he came to. Really cold. He absent-mindedly reached out for a blanket but his fingertips encountered only... flesh? He hadn't... Did he take Thad home last night? He'd promised himself he wouldn't rush into sex with him, and they'd only been on three dates.

Wait –

Thad. Date. Beach. Donnie.

His stomach lurched. His eyes snapped open.

Where was he?

He sat up, and looked around.

_What the fuck?_

He found himself trapped in some strange dream. He was... he was surrounded by plants, not like, flowers and stuff, but the kind of stuff you'd see in a fish tank, only bigger. Everything was bright, and _so cold. _

'Hey.'

He whipped round to see where the voice came from. A boy was sitting beside him. Not a boy, a – a mermaid? He was beautiful, either way. His chestnut hair was blowing back off his angelic face, and his skin was pale, porcelain, perfect. But from the hips down, there was a green, sparkling _tail _where his legs should be.

'Are you okay?' His voice was soft.

'I'm dreaming.'

'What's your name?'

'I'm – I'm Blaine?'

'Blaine. I'm Kurt.'

'_Fuck!' _Blaine jumped up. Well, a shambolic kind of jump. It was like his legs were tied together, except – except he didn't have legs. Where his legs should be... he had a tail, too. Like Kurt's, but red.

This dream was trippy. He'd had strange dreams before, but this one was weird in a more unpleasant way. He felt suffocated by it.

'I have to wake up now.' He said.

'Blaine –'

Blaine shook his head and closed his eyes, willing himself back into his own bed. The atmosphere around him didn't change, he stayed upright, and he felt a warm hand on his arm.

'Blaine.' He opened his eyes to find Kurt looking at him, pitifully. 'Honey, you aren't dreaming.'

'What do you mean?' He closed his eyes again.

'I was scared when I found out too, just – stay calm.'

'Stay calm?'

'Sit down. Lie down, if you want.'

'What's going on? Is this a joke?'

'What is the last thing you remember, before this?'

'Tell me what's happening!'

'_Blaine!' _Kurt looked stern. 'What is the last thing you remember?

'I...' Blaine felt choked up. 'I was on the beach. With my friend. And he left. Then these guys just appeared out of nowhere and started hassling me... I tried to leave but they grabbed me, and they were gonna throw me in the water but they dropped me. I –' He moved a hand to the back of his head. 'I think I hit my head on the way down. And I blacked out.' Kurt nodded, and moved closer. He put a hand on Blaine's shoulder, squeezing gently.

'This isn't going to be easy to hear.'

'Kurt – Tell me. Please.'

'Blaine, you drowned last night.'

'I – I what?'

'You drowned. You're... you're dead.'

'That's not funny.' Blaine backed away. 'That's fucking sick. I'm dreaming. I'm high, I'm hallucinating – anything.'

'I told you it wouldn't be easy to hear.'

'You can't _tell _a person they died! I'm alive, I-' Blaine held his left wrist with his right hand. 'I have a pulse!' He cried triumphantly.

'That doesn't mean you're not dead.' Kurt chewed his lip. 'Let me rephrase that. A dead human equals a living merman. So technically you're alive and your body is working, but it has changed and adapted to living below the sea. You're only dead if you still consider yourself a human.'

'I bet Nick put you up to this, right? Nick and Jeff? Gave you these costumes?' Blaine pushed at the scales wrapped around his hips, but nothing happened. He tried clawing them off, anything, but it was like they were grafted to his skin.

'Look, I know it's scary, but –'

'It's not scary! It's messed up!'

'Haven't you noticed where we are?'

'We're – we're...'

'In the sea?'

'No...'

'Well I don't know what you'd call it, but the gigantic body of water between America and Europe? We're in it.'

'Humans can't breathe underwater.'

'You're not human. Not anymore.'

'You've given me something – drugs, gillyweed – this _isn't real!'_ He shot up, beginning to swim upwards.

'Where are you going?'

'If we're in the sea then I'm getting out of here.'

'Stop! Blaine, you don't understand.'

'You're damn right!' He continued swimming.

'No – you don't know what will happen, if you go up there.'

'I'll get out of here!'

'No, you won't.' Kurt rushed forward and grabbed Blaine's wrist, stopping him. 'You have to understand.

'If you go up there, then you will die. That is a fact. Because that's all merpeople are – lost souls who died at sea. For some reason, our souls or whatever, live on, in these bizarre bodies. But if you go up to the surface, then you'll be a dead human being. If you stay down here, you'll be immortal, as a merman.' Blaine's eyes flicked down to where Kurt's fingers were still locked around his arm.

'You're... you're not kidding.'

'I'm not. I'm so sorry, Blaine.'

'So... as far as my parents, my friends are concerned... I'm dead?'

'I guess. They wouldn't know you were dead unless they saw you, but they'll never see you alive again. You're more, just missing at the moment.' Blaine looked away, his eyes stinging. He closed them, and tried to regain composure, but a sob forced its way out and before he knew it the other boy had shot forward, and he was cradled in his arms, crying into his chest.

'Shh...' Kurt rubbed his back gently.

Xx

As soon as he woke up the next morning, Thad checked his phone. Nothing. He felt tears prick his eyes and he was willing himself not to worry but – but Blaine promised to text him. With a shaking hand he called him, but it was still empty on Blaine's side.

Throwing his cover to the side, he shot out of bed and pulled on the first pair of jeans he found on the floor. His black converse were halfway on his feet as he hurried into the hall, and he hopped to the front door, pulling them on with one hand and grabbing his keys with the other. He shouted something about _going out mom, back soon _and he was gone.

Blaine's little sister answered the door.

'Thad!' She smiled as she saw him, and placed him from the numerous get-togethers that had happened at her house.

'Hey, Emily! Um, is your brother home?' She looked confused for a second.

'I didn't see him. He might be in his room.' She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the reception, upstairs, down a hall. Without hesitating, as Thad probably would have done, she pushed the door open.

Xx

**Day 3**

'How did you know?'

'Know what?' Blaine had stopped crying, and the two were sitting on a rock that Kurt had led them to. There had been a silence between the two as Blaine took in his new surroundings, before he asked Kurt a question.

'How did you know... that you wanted to live down here, alone, instead of just giving it up and going to the surface?' Kurt considered this for a few seconds.

'I... I killed myself, Blaine. I was having a really difficult time at school, and at home and in my head. I thought no-one wanted me. I was invisible, except to those who wanted to make my life a living Hell. They saw me just fine. One day, at school, this one guy – he grabbed my head and shoved it in the toilet, and started flushing, like he was the funniest guy in the world. He did it for a bit too long, though, and I started choking, so naturally, he left me on the floor and ran away. And for a minute, I actually thought I was going to die, sitting there, coughing up water. I wasn't scared, though. It wasn't a scary thought – it just seemed like a _relief. _No-one could pick on me, I wouldn't feel ignored by my father, and I wouldn't have to struggle with who I was anymore. It was just a really nice idea.' He paused, looking down at his hands for a moment. 'So that night, I stole some alcohol from my dad's liquor cabinet, got _wasted, _and then I took my navigator for a ride. I figured I would just wreck it, drive off the highway or something, but then I drove past the beach. And I remembered what happened in the bathroom before, and I just thought... _Okay. The sea. _And I drove off the pier.' He shrugged. 'I guess I left a window open or something, I can't really remember... When I woke up I was just in the car, alone, and I had this thing –' He kicked his tail up. '-and it was terrifying, y'know? I didn't have some devastatingly handsome person with me to tell me what was happening.' He nudged Blaine, who let out a soft chuckle. 'So I got out, and I swam until I found another group of people. They were really nice, but _bizarre. _I was really freaked out. And once I found out what the deal was, I was totally ready to just swim on up and die. But swimming up to the surface, it's a long way, and I got to thinking – I had a whole new life down here. No-one knew anything about me. They didn't know I was gay, they didn't know that _no-one _was supposed to like me – it felt nice. It was refreshing, almost. So I stopped, and thought – I _could _go up and stop living, like I wanted before, or I could stay, and have the life that I wished I could have had while I was getting shoved into lockers. I swam back down and I talked to people and I made friends, and I was _happy.' _He shrugged. 'I started to like it down here. I do miss my dad, sometimes, but... well, he's probably doing just fine without me.' Kurt pushed off the rock and floated away a few feet. He laughed a little nervously. 'Sorry, that's probably way more than you needed to hear.' Blaine got up and followed him.

'Kurt, I –'

'You don't have to say you're sorry, or anything like that, Blaine. Honestly. I've been down here two years now and I'm fine with it.' Blaine nodded slowly. 'So, now you know what you need to. It's up to you to decide whether you want to go up or stay.' He smiled. 'But do it quickly, before I get too attached.'

Xx

**Day 1**

'What... what time did you leave him?' Mrs. Anderson leaned over the table to address Thad, her face calm, but her hands shaking.

'About a quarter to midnight.' Thad ran a hand through his hair. 'I had to make curfew. Blaine told me that he was going to stay for another half an hour – I asked him to text me, but... he didn't.'

'Oh my lord.' She put a hand up to her forehead. 'First things first, we'll drive to the beach. He might have simply gotten lost on the way, or gotten injured, or –' She cut herself off and stood up abruptly. 'Come on.'

'Mrs. Anderson –' Thad followed her lead and stood up. 'I'm sorry.'

'Sweetie, you've nothing to apologise for.' She looked at him for a moment. 'Well, let's hope so.'

Xx

**Day 3**

How was he supposed to make this kind of decision? It was almost ridiculous, but all it boiled down to was _what _kind of pain he wanted to put his family and friends through. They could either never know what happened to him – assume him on different occasions to be dead, to have been kidnapped or to have changed his name and fled the country – or they could have to face his death, planning his funeral, watching the coffin disappear into the ground. They'd have to find a replacement for him in the Warblers.

'I have a little sister,' he mentioned to Kurt. He was sitting, staring out into the water, as Kurt swam around a little behind him.

'You do?'

'She's eight. I love her more than anything.' He turned around to look at Kurt, who was floating upside down. 'What... would be less damaging? For her? I mean... is it better to have a dead brother, or a brother who disappeared off the face of the earth?'

'What's her name?'

'Emily.'

'Do you have any pets?'

'A dog. A couple of goldfish.'

'She won't be alone.'

'I guess not.' Blaine hid his face in his hands. 'I'm gonna miss her so much.' Kurt paused and glanced at him.

'It gets easier. If you choose to stay down here, I mean.'

'Yeah?' The dark haired boy looked up, eyes red. 'When?'

Xx

**Day 1**

'Have you seen anything?' Mrs. Anderson's eyes were wide, searching as she tried to concentrate on the road ahead.

'I – I can't... I haven't seen anything.' Thad was gripping the sides of his seat to keep himself from tearing his own hair out. The images that had been plaguing him last night were back and with a vengeance, and at the moment he was struggling to remember what Blaine's dazzling smile looked like, or how his eyes lit up when he sang lead in Glee club. Oh God, what did his voice sound like? This was all ludicrous, he knew, it had been ten hours since he'd seen Blaine, but suddenly, faced with the prospect of never seeing him again he felt like a hole had already been ripped from his life. And whatever he was feeling, poor Mrs. Anderson was probably suffering ten times as much.

'Would you try calling him again, Thad, please?'

Xx

**Day 4**

'I'm Emma,' she reached out to shake Blaine's hand.

'Blaine. It's a pleasure to meet you.' He smiled politely.

'Oh, honey, you don't have to lie to me. I know how difficult it can be coming to terms with what has happened.' She smiled graciously at him. 'How are you feeling?'

'I – yeah. I don't know.'

'Well we're all here for you.' She gestured to each person gathered at the reef Kurt had taken him to. 'This is Carl, my husband. Shannon, and this is Jesse, and April. Obviously you know Kurt.'

Blaine looked around for a moment. It was kind of heart-warming, being introduced to what seemed to be a really tight-knit group of people. He supposed going through something like waking up from supposed death would really bring people close. They all just looked so comfortable together. It reminded him of being back in the Warblers. He turned back to Kurt, who was watching him curiously.

'You know,' Kurt swam forward so he was face to face with Blaine. 'You don't just have to think about your family. This is about what you want, too.' Blaine looked at the group again. Emma was looking at him, fond smile in place, from where she was nestled in Carl's arms, and Jesse was engaging in a heated conversation with Shannon while April played with his hair. Something gripped him, and before he realised it, he was swimming away, as fast as he could.

Xx

**Day 2**

'He's been missing for about 36 hours now.' Mrs. Anderson spoke frantically into the phone. 'From – from the pier at the...' A sob wracked her frame and she pushed the phone across the table to Thad. She put a hand over her eyes to try and compose herself. Her boy, Emma's big brother, could be _anywhere._ In her head she knew that sometimes teenage boys went out, sometimes they crashed at friends' houses, and often they forgot to let their parents know but _God _that just wasn't Blaine. Ever since he had come out to her, their relationship had been a little strained, but they had always had such a strong foundation between them, so much so that she _knew_ something awful must have happened for him not to contact her - and the very idea of that just made her feel hollow.

Xx

**Day 4**

He stared at nothing in particular. They were all like a family, and for a second there he considered joining it. There was no reason he couldn't keep on living down here and he didn't _want _to die. But – how could he be happy when his family would be going insane back at home? At least if he died they would know where he was.

'Excuse me?'

He shook his head quickly and turned around to find the source of the timid voice. A few feet away a tiny, young mermaid was floating unsteadily and staring at him. She swam towards him, looking at his tail.

'You're... you're one too?'

'I am.' His voice cracked.

'How?'

'It's... weird.' She came closer, sat next to him.

'Why is it weird?' Blaine bit his lip. He was nowhere near cool enough with this to be able to explain it to a child.

'What do you think happened?'

'I don't know. I was on vacation with my parents, and we came out on this boat and then I fell because I was trying to be like that movie mommy used to watch, with the boat, I was trying to fly. And now I look like Ariel.'

'Ariel?'

'Uh-huh.'

'...I love that movie.' She grinned up at him.

'Me too!'

Xx

Kurt let out a frustrated groan as he swam around, searching for Blaine. He should have known that introducing him to so much when he had been here such a short amount of time would be overwhelming for him, but – he just seemed really sweet, and someone that Kurt could take under his wing and introduce him to this new life. No-one had needed him for anything like that back on land, and this was supposed to be his fresh start.

He stopped in his tracks as he spotted Blaine sitting up against a rock. And – and there was someone with him. A small someone – a mermaid who looked no older than six. They appeared to be having a casual conversation, one which had brought the first smile Kurt had seen to Blaine's face, as he watched the little girl gesturing wildly.

Blaine spotted Kurt, and raised a hand in greeting, welcoming him over.

'Kurt, this is Belle,' he said. 'Like the princess.'

'Hi, Belle.' Kurt smiled.

'We're talking about Disney movies.' Blaine informed him.

'Oh, right? Who's your favourite princess, Belle?'

'Um... Aurora. Because even though she's _stupid, _she has really pretty hair and she met her boyfriend by singing, which is the best way to meet people.'

'I think you're right.' Kurt replied. 'So you like to sing?'

'I love to sing! I'm in the choir at school!' Her smile faltered. 'Wait... do I still have to go to school? Now I'm a mermaid?'

'Honey... How long have you been down here?'

Xx

**Day 4**

Emily sat at the bottom of the stairs, staring at the front door, waiting for Blaine to come in. It was way past her bedtime but her mom was too busy talking with the policemen and Thad to tell her to go to sleep. She just figured she'd keep watch for a bit, in case he did come in. He wouldn't be too long – what could he be doing that would take longer than a few days?

Xx

**Day 4**

Belle stared ahead, her brow furrowed, as she processed the information Kurt had told her. Blaine had floated a few feet away and was studying some coral so he could tune out their conversation, which was probably a little immature or selfish of him, but hey, this was still new for him too, and he couldn't be expected to hear the explanation twice, right?

'Is this heaven?' Kurt was surprised at the little girl's question. She had been quiet throughout his explanation, a severely down-scaled version of the one he'd given Blaine, and she'd taken it well, although Kurt wasn't sure how to respond to her now.

'What makes you ask that?'

'Well, mommy and daddy told me that when my Grandpa _passed away, _he went to Heaven, and that Heaven was just a place where people went to keep living after their real life on Earth. Since that's what I'm doing here, I figured that's where we were.' Kurt cocked his head to the side.

'That's a really nice way of looking at it, Belle.' Who was he to deny this child her beliefs?

Xx

**Day 6**

Emma adored Belle. Everyone did. She was beautiful, and talkative and so smart for her age. Right now she was basking in the attention of the group of people she had been introduced into. She sat on Emma's lap, chatting up a storm with Jesse as the redhead braided her hair tenderly. Kurt and Blaine were sitting off to the side, watching with matching fond smiles on their faces.

'She's a hit,' Kurt said, the image of a proud parent. Blaine nodded, letting out an _Mmm _in agreement and trying not to think about how she looked like Emily, all dark curls and big eyes. 'It's been a while since anyone new arrived, you know.' Kurt continued. 'Much less two new people in a week.'

'I guess you lucked out.' Blaine said dryly. He shot Kurt a smile to let him know he was kidding. Kurt smirked in return, before looking back at the others. He bit his lip, wondering whether or not he should ask. It was only in his nature as a teenage boy to wonder.

'Did you leave a girlfriend behind?' He asked slightly timidly.

'Not... not really. I was on a third date, when it happened.'

'Right.'

'And he was a guy.' Kurt's eyebrow quirked, and he tried not to feel too happy (what? He was just a teenager, and there was no denying Blaine was attractive.)

'Right.'

'What about you?' Blaine nudged him. 'I bet you left a dozen broken hearts.'

'Hardly. I was the only out kid at my school.' Kurt shrugged. 'My dating options weren't all that wide.'

'...Right.'

Xx

**Day 11**

'What kind of stuff did you do? Back on land?' Kurt asked the question out of the blue as he sat tracing patterns into the sand. Blaine paused for a moment from where he had been walking on his hands around Kurt.

'Just... stuff. Music, mainly. Singing, and playing guitar. Hanging out with friends. Maintaining a stellar grade point average, thank you very much.' He grinned.

'Were you in Glee club?'

'I was. The Dalton Academy Warblers.'

'I auditioned for mine. I died a couple of days before the first rehearsal, though. I mean, I don't think it would have been very good.'

'Glee was one of the best things in my life.' Blaine admitted slightly wistfully. 'It's one of the things I'm gonna miss most.' Kurt looked down, and thought for a moment.

'Sing with me.'

'Huh?' The dark-haired boy turned over.

'Sing... with me?' Kurt looked up again to see him smiling.

'You're on.'

Xx

**Day 14**

Kurt gasped, clutching at his heart and leaning forward, wide-eyed. 'No way! You can't possibly think that!'

'Uh-huh! Lady Gaga is _weird _and Beyonce is way prettier!' Belle grinned at him from Blaine's lap.

'I disagree completely! Lady Gaga is bringing in a whole new generation of popstar!' Kurt narrowed his eyes as Blaine leaned forward to whisper in the little girl's ear. She giggled for a few seconds before replying to Kurt.

'At least Beyonce can dress herself without having to use a screwdriver!' She burst out laughing and curled up into Blaine's chest. Kurt glared at Blaine, but his smile betrayed him after a few seconds.

'You wait! I'll make her see the light and then you'll be alone with your out-of-date music taste.'

'Ouch, Kurt, really.' He shook his head.

Xx

**Day 21**

It wasn't until Donnie DeMarte returned to the beach that it hit him what had actually happened. He was walking along the sand one Saturday afternoon with his wife and his son, when he caught sight of the pier, and remembered. That kid might still be in the water. He might be dead. He might be floating along, pale and bloated, his parents wondering where he was. He felt suddenly compelled to check.

'Why don't we sit down here?' He suggested. 'I wanna take Sammy out to the water.'

'Okay.' His wife dropped her bag and crouched down to her son's height. She removed his hat and his t-shirt and got the sunblock out. Her husband was already walking away. 'Donnie! Hold on a second!'

'I'm gonna... I'm checkin' for sharks,' he called back lazily as he made his way towards the water. He walked in, barely noticing how cold the water felt on his feet, and he kept walking, until he was chest deep. He couldn't see any bodies floating on the water, but it was best to be sure. He remembered the day his dad got taken away by the police for killing some guy in an alleyway next to a bar. God, he cried all night at that. And he swore he'd never turn into that kinda guy. He'd be all respectable, like, with a wife and a family. Not like his best friend Louis who landed himself in prison after a mugging. Nah, he was doing well, he was doing okay. Whatever guilt he was feeling shoulda been piled on Louis' shoulders anyway, since it was him who'd invited Donnie out on a post-prison sentence bender. Louis was a bad guy. So was Donnie's dad. And he didn't wanna be either of 'em.

He plunged down, immersing himself completely and having a look around. Nothing. No kid. He poked his head out to get some air, and then went back down.

Xx

**Day 21**

'Belle!' Blaine called, swimming up as fast as he could. 'Slow it down!'

'You have to _catch_ me!' She shouted back, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

'Give me a chance!' He was slightly worried; she'd gotten used to her tail now and was skyrocketing upwards. Blaine loved playing with her, honestly, but until she was mature enough to be told what would happen if she hit the surface, he didn't want her anywhere near there. He'd become attached.

'Is that the sun?' Belle pointed up to a bright spot easily visible through the slightly clearer water.

'I – probably...'

'Can we go see it?'

'We really shouldn't!'

'Why not? Ariel –'

'This isn't exactly like The Little Mermaid, sweetie.'

'Why?' She stopped swimming and turned back to look at Blaine, who took the opportunity to shoot up and take her waist, pulling her back into his chest and locking his arms around her.

'It just isn't. But you have to promise me you won't come back up here again, okay?'

'What's that?' She pointed over his shoulder, and Blaine turned to look. His heart pounded as he realised how close to the surface they had come – Belle had spotted a pair of legs kicking through the water to keep afloat.

'Just someone swimming,' Blaine eyed the figure slightly cautiously. 'Come on, we should get back.'

'Excuse me?' Belle shouted. The pair of legs froze. Blaine started to turn in order to go back, but Belle hit his chest repeatedly. 'Look!' He turned back round to see whoever it was swim down and head directly for them. The little girl waved happily.

'Hi mister!' The stranger didn't reply. He was too busy looking at Blaine.

'_Blaine!' _Kurt's voice floated up and he soon followed it. 'Blaine, did you get h-' He stopped and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Belle safely encased in Blaine's arms. 'Belle, sweetie, you can't come up here, okay?' He took her from him, finally turning his attention to the other merman.

Blaine shook his head slowly as he recognised one of the men responsible for his death. His stomach flipped, and his cheeks flushed, and all his _anger _at what had happened flooded back.

'You fucking killed me!' He shouted, lurching forward and pushing him. The man's eyes widened and he shook his head, grabbing the kid's wrist and trying to pull him up. He had to show him how sorry he was; he could get him out of here and make him a human again. He didn't know what the fuck had happened to his legs but whatever he had to do to help, whatever he needed to do to be a decent guy, he could do it.

Blaine gasped as the guy pulled him up towards the surface. What was he _doing? _Was he trying to get him out? He struggled against the grasp, but the man was insistent, trying to push him up.

Kurt watched on, shocked, as Blaine engaged in a tussle with this stranger. Well – obviously he was one of the men who had approached Blaine on the beach, the night of his death, but what was he doing down here? The merman so badly wanted to intervene but Blaine was so close to the surface, any sudden movement from Kurt could push him too far.

Donnie wrestled with the kid, wondering why the Hell he wasn't co-operating, almost like he didn't realise he was trying to _help. _Why wouldn't he just get out? Did he _like _being a fish? He managed to get a grip on the kid's forearm and twist it up into his chest until he could _just about _push him up...

_Cold._ That was all Blaine registered as he felt his shoulder break the surface. It was like he was turning into ice. He heard Kurt scream out below him, but he felt too faint to think about what he was saying.

'_Let him go!' _Kurt dropped Belle and darted forward, grabbing the man's legs and pushing him to the side. He gripped Blaine's arm and pulled him down as quickly as he could, wrapping his arm around his waist. 'Belle, you need to go back down and tell Emma what happened, okay? Please.' She nodded, looking upset, and turned back.

Xx

'What happened?'

'This man was in the sea and Blaine started fighting with him! And then I didn't see _exactly _but Kurt screamed and he made the man go away and Blaine went _grey _just on his arm so he told me to come back here and tell you.'

'Oh, honey,' Emma rubbed Belle's arm comfortingly. 'Go and talk to Shannon, okay? Make sure you get a big hug; you were very sensible.' As the little one swam away, the redhead looked up to await the arrival of the two boys.

Kurt had his arm wrapped round Blaine's waist and was swimming as fast as he could. He didn't know the extent of what had happened to his friend but judging by the colour of the skin of his arm and his increasingly limp stature it was _not _something that would get better with a nap and a massage. Emma was floating a few feet above the rest of the group, wringing her hands together anxiously.

'Boys!' She swam up to meet them and guided them towards a flat rock. Kurt lay Blaine down gently, cradling his head in his lap. 'How is he doing?'

'He's losing consciousness. He's – I don't know, he's breathing, but his arm is just completely...' Kurt reached down and took Blaine's other hand. It was still warm. He held it up to his cheek.

'It was just the arm that surfaced, right?' Emma lifted Blaine's arm up.

'Yeah – I think so.'

'As soon as a body part leaves the water, blood flow stops to that place immediately and completely. His heart is still going, thank God, since his chest only just left the water but this will play havoc with his circulatory system and if we don't get the blood flowing back to his arm –' She cut herself of. She didn't need to say it, and no-one wanted to hear it.

'What can we do?' Kurt combed his fingers through Blaine's hair, peering down at his face.

'We can – we can try and warm him up, that might help the blood begin flowing back.' She started rubbing the skin, but her eyes looked lost, and Kurt knew there wasn't a lot she could do. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Blaine's cheek.

'Wait!' Emma's eyes flicked up to Blaine's face, and his slightly red cheek. 'You made him blush. When someone is stimulated blood vessels widen and blood rushes to the skin. Maybe, if we could stimulate the arm enough...' She bit her lip and glanced up at Kurt. 'It's worth a shot.' Kurt's eyes widened as he realised what she was suggesting, and he nodded. He lifted Blaine's head out of his lap and set it down on the rock so he was lying flat.

Slightly cautiously at first, Kurt floated round so he was level with Blaine's affected arm. He was nervous. Leaning in, he licked his lips before pressing a hot, open-mouth kiss to the top of Blaine's shoulder. The skin beneath his lips immediately flushed to a reassuring shade of pale pink. Kurt let out a relieved sigh, and started kissing slowly up Blaine's arm.

He had to remind himself at this point that what he was doing was an action completely separate from any feelings he had for Blaine. These kisses weren't a way for Kurt to worship Blaine's body, they weren't a way of showing his adoration – they were just a way of making sure he didn't die.

But then – Kurt couldn't say that kissing Blaine's skin wasn't nice. And although he had no experience in that department, he knew that _being _kissed – even by a parent on the cheek – was also nice. Maybe Blaine would wake up soon and... Well, just because they were underwater didn't mean sparks couldn't fly.

Oh God, this was so inappropriate. Now was _not _the time.

Kurt paused, his lips still against Blaine's bicep as Emma pressed her ear to his chest again.

'His heartbeat is picking up,' she smiled encouragingly. 'You're doing well.' Kurt nodded. He'd forgotten that Emma was even there.

Blaine regained consciousness as Kurt reached his elbow. He let out a soft groan and Emma moved to his head, to be with him as he awoke.

'Blaine? Blaine, sweetie,' she smiled warmly at him, but his attention was occupied by the boy kissing his forearm. 'You're gonna be okay.'

'Kurt...' he spoke softly, curiously. Kurt blushed himself, pausing his kisses once again to smile at Blaine.

'Kurt, keep going,' Emma reminded him briskly. 'Blaine, your arm surfaced, somehow, a while ago, and what Kurt is doing is just stimulating the blood vessels, okay? You're probably feeling a little numb in your arm but that will go away. How are you feeling?' Blaine looked around for a few seconds, his brow furrowed, his eyes squinted. He looked like he had just woken up from an exceptionally long sleep.

'I feel weird.'

'How so?'

'I don't know. I just... I'm all tingly.' He gestured with his free arm to his other shoulder. 'Here, it just feels... strange.'

'That's completely normal. Is your breathing okay?'

'Mmm. Yeah.' Now that Blaine was more awake, he couldn't help but feel awkward as he felt his friend kiss his arm. Was he supposed to watch him, to make eye contact? Kurt was keeping his head down – maybe he was embarrassed. Maybe he was pretending it was someone else. He decided to just close his eyes for a minute, worried that if he tried speaking to Kurt or even looking at him that he would cross some kind of unspoken line.

He had to look up, though, when Kurt pressed a kiss to his palm, and held it there. The action was so tender, so warm but so inherently casual that Blaine wasn't sure if he was feeling too much from it or not enough. Their eyes locked, and Blaine couldn't suppress his smile; Kurt's eyes were shining and he looked so open, so innocent and, even though this situation was less than ideal, Blaine knew then that with Kurt there any time spent under the sea would be just fine

His heart started thudding as Kurt kissed the back of his hand. Suddenly his mind had posed the question – what if Kurt wasn't always there? Sure, he had been told that they were immortal but what were the odds that he was going to want to stick with him forever? Blaine would be lost. He'd have the other people in the community to talk to, sure, but he hadn't connected with any of them nearly as much as he had with Kurt. Even Belle. He felt like a teenage mortal again, trapped and overwhelmed by the idea of everything and nothing all at once.

When Kurt kissed the backs of his fingers, Blaine felt like he might cry. He couldn't, since the others had noticed that he was awakening, and had begun to gather round him, but even with his brave smile there was an unpleasant gripping sensation in his stomach and there were tears pricking behind his eyes.

Kurt dropped his hand and smiled, licking his lips absently. Blaine sat up and shook his arm a little, returning the smile he hadn't noticed had left his face.

'Thanks.'

'You're wel-'

'Blaine!' Carl came up beside them, Belle held tightly in his arms. 'You're okay!'

'I'm okay,' Blaine's eyes left Kurt's and he turned to grin lazily at Carl. 'Hey, Belle!'

'Belle's kind of upset,' the older man bounced the child up and down in his arms a little.

'How come?' Blaine reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. She curled up tighter into Carl's chest. 'Belle?'

'I'm really sorry, Blaine...' she mumbled.

'Hey,' he rubbed her back and she turned around, her eyes red. 'Come here.' She let herself be pulled into his lap. 'I'm okay.'

'Glad to hear it, dude,' Jesse floated over, casually pushing Kurt out of the way. 'Your arm looked disgusting.'

'Hush up, kiddo,' Shannon came up behind him, ruffling his hair. 'Good to see you awake, buddy.' She leaned over and punched his arm lightly. 'You'd have been a fair left back, you know.' Blaine shrugged, smiling round at everyone. He guessed it was nice to have these people here too, but he kind of wanted to talk to Kurt, who he couldn't see.

Kurt had floated away dejectedly, watching the group. His part was obviously over. Maybe he'd gotten a bit carried away with his thoughts while he was tending to Blaine's arm. Blaine was happy with the company of Belle and the rest of them, and Kurt was stupid to think he would want anything more from him. He felt a soft punch land on his shoulder.

'I can hear your heart a-breakin'!' April slung her arm round his neck, hugging him close. 'You okay honey?'

'Yeah. Yeah, I'm freaking fantastic.' Kurt smirked, catching her eye.

'He likes you!' She whispered in his ear.

'He likes everyone.'

'You know what I mean.'

'April... He doesn't like me. Not like that, anyway. And that's okay. I'm _totally _cool with being his friend.'

'You're not fooling me, sugar. And I've seen the way he looks at you! I haven't seen that in a _long _time and kiddo, if you don't grab it, I will!' She winked at him. 'Look. He's looking for you.' Kurt peeked over. Blaine _was _glancing around, but he could easily be looking for April, or just identifying his location.

'He's not – see?' Kurt nodded towards the group, where Blaine was letting Belle go and swimming a few feet up. 'He's leaving.'

'He's _alone._' She squeezed Kurt's arm. 'Now _go get him!'_

Xxx

'I'll be back in a few hours, mom!' Jeannie grabbed her bag, throwing in her keys and cell phone as she headed towards the door. 'Need anything, Thaddy?' She paused as she passed the living room, where her little brother was sitting on the sofa, a cushion clutched to his chest as he stared at the phone.

'Huh?' He looked over through wide eyes.

'Do you need anything from the mall?'

'Oh. Um, no. No thank you.'

'Okay.' She smiled sadly at him as he turned his attention back to the phone. 'Hey.' He turned back round.

'Mmm?'

'Wanna come with?' He looked shocked for a moment, his eyes widening even more, and he glanced between the phone and his sister a few times.

'Um. Yeah, okay. Please. Thanks.'

Xxx

Blaine sat on a rock, staring out into the water. It was lovely, being surrounded by everyone after waking up but honestly, he wanted air. He needed to clear his head. Those thoughts he'd had about Kurt while he was kissing his hand needed addressing. He couldn't allow himself to become dependent on Kurt – that wasn't healthy – but what if... Well, Kurt wouldn't mind him relying on him a little more, would he? He'd be okay with Blaine leaning on him. Becoming closer to him. And then – _oh God, _what was it Blaine even wanted from Kurt? Did he want a friend? A mentor? A boyfriend?

He loved him. He knew that much. And he felt like he could talk to him, about anything. He didn't want to scare him away, but the way he had been so easy with Blaine made him believe he had staying power.

Something moved in the corner of his eye. He glanced up. Of course.

'Hey.'

'Hi.' Kurt swam over slowly. 'How are you feeling?'

'Okay.' He smiled half-heartedly. 'You know.' Kurt sat next to him.

'How are you really feeling?'

'I...' Blaine sighed. 'I don't know.' He shrugged.

'How's the arm?'

'Back to normal. Thank you for that, by the way. I didn't get a chance to say, before...'

'It's fine. You're welcome.'

'I guess I owe you my life now, or something.'

'It was nothing.'

'I don't _want _to die.' Blaine wasn't sure where that came from. He shuddered. 'I don't want to be dead.'

'Blaine, you know that's completely normal.'

'I feel so guilty.'

'Don't. Please, y-'

'I keep thinking about going up there. Before today, I mean. I kept thinking about just ending everything.' He bit his lip. 'You're the only thing stopping me doing it.' He reached over and grasped Kurt's hand. 'I love you, Kurt. You make all of this feel okay. I don't know if I could be here without you.'

Kurt's stomach flipped. Blaine loved him. He _loved _him. He depended on him and that probably should have scared Kurt but that also meant he wanted him, and that idea was something Kurt liked _a lot, _especially coming from Blaine (who had essentially ridden Kurt of the task April had set him.)

'Blaine...' he smiled softly, squeezing his hand. 'I'm never gonna leave you. Okay?' Blaine nodded uneasily. 'As long as you promise not to leave me.'

'Kurt, I wouldn't –' Blaine shook his head. 'I just... I need to learn to be okay being here; I need you, anchoring me; I have to try and forget...'

'Hey,' Kurt leaned in, kissing Blaine quickly and softly on the lips. 'You're going to be okay.'

'Kurt...' Blaine rested his free hand on Kurt's jaw as he kissed him in reply to the first one. He moaned softly, as though he was starving and Kurt was the only thing sustaining him. Well, that second part might have been true, anyway. Kurt threaded one hand through the hair at the nape of Blaine's neck and used the other to grip his waist and pull him close. They fell out of the kiss and into a hug as Blaine dropped his head down to rest in the crook of Kurt's neck.

'Thank you,' he whispered.

Xxx

Norah Anderson's hands shook as she took the ladle and poured out some soup for Emily. Every day now for the past month she had prepared two meals at 5:30pm and every day she'd had to throw one of them out. Tonight she had consciously decided to cook only one, for her daughter. Emily looked confused when her mother didn't set a place next to her on the table, but she didn't question it as she felt the soft hand on her shoulder, comforting and warm. Norah bent to kiss her head. She would cook for Blaine when he came home.


End file.
